A Glimmer in the Darkness
by doggieearlover
Summary: An accident and an uexpected declaration. How will the hanyou and miko cope? Warnings: Language and mild spoilers starting with Manga Chapter 188.


**AN:** This was written as a kiriban for my 15,000th page view at deviantART, which was won by GilShalos.

**Request from GilShalos:** ..._So I'll request an Inu/Kag pairing story where feelings are declared in the story and where Sesshoumaru makes an appearance (as a protagonist or antagonist is your choice). Steamy kisses are always welcome and 'to lemon or not' is your choice. What would happen if InuYasha temporarily lost one of his major senses due to something Kagome did or caused, even if she only thinks she did/caused it?_

**Warnings: **Language andMild spoilers beginning with Manga Chapter 488.

**Disclaimers: **I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi. I just enjoy making them play with each other.

**A Glimmer in the Darkness**

"Shippou, Nooooooo!! Get out of there!!!" Kagome screamed as she ran towards the little fox.

She didn't know where it had come from, but they had suddenly run into a giant snake, which was currently poised to strike at the kitsune. Instead of running, he was just standing there looking at it, like he was frozen.

InuYasha realized his worst nightmare was coming true as he watched Kagome run directly into the snake's strike zone, trying to reach Shippou, who refused to move his furry ass out of there. He looked up to see that the giant reptile had opened its mouth, and was probably waiting for the girl to join the stupid kit so it could hit both of them at once. Of course, instead of grabbing him, she managed to trip and fall as she reached him, and now both were on the ground. InuYasha was already moving when he screamed, "Kagomeeeee!" and then leapt, to cover both of them where they lay. He braced for the attack as he shielded them with his body. However, he made the mistake of looking up to see exactly where the snake was.

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango yelled as the giant boomerang flew at the serpent. She was up in the air on Kirara. She didn't know if it would do any damage, but she had to at least distract it before all three of her companions were seriously injured or killed. Much to her surprise, the new and improved Hiraikotsu sliced through the large youkai like a hot knife through butter. It severed its head clean off, but in the process, went directly through the huge glands that contained its supply of poison.

InuYasha was surprised to see the head fly off of the body before it reached him, but he remained over Kagome and Shippou, protecting them from the rain of body parts and fluids that now started to fall from above them. He wasn't prepared when a large yellow-greenish blob hit him squarely in the face, making him feel like someone had just cleaved through his head. "Arrrrgh!" he cried out before everything went black.

When the hanyou finally came to, he could smell the mustiness of the earth around him, and feel the dampness in spite of the fire that he could hear crackling nearby. The scents of the others told him they were in the vicinity, but the closest was that of Kagome. He took a deep breath and was amazed at how strong it was; she must be right beside him. He also recognized that his kimono was heavily permeated with the odor of her tears. He sighed as he realized he must have made her cry again. He tried to open his eyes, but felt something across them. He reached up to feel bandages over his face.

"InuYasha," Kagome said frantically as she realized he had moved. "InuYasha, don't move around too much. The poison from that snake burned you pretty badly." She started crying again. "It was all my fault; I have to be so clumsy."

InuYasha started to say something, like she was, but discovered his mouth was too dry to speak. "Water," he whispered hoarsely.

He heard rustling as Kagome rummaged through that monstrous backpack of hers. He then felt himself being gently helped up enough to be able to drink. An open bottle of water was pressed to his lips, and his hand wrapped around hers as she held the bottle for him. The hanyou managed to guzzle most of it down before finally letting go and sinking back to the ground.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice still not wanting to cooperate.

"Pure poison from the snake hit you right in the face." Kagome was softly sobbing again. "Your firerat protected your body pretty well, but your face was burned, and it got in your eyes."

InuYasha flicked his ears, trying to get water out of them. When he felt his scalp, he noticed his hair was wet and chunks were missing. "What the fuck?"

"Kirara, Sango, and Miroku helped me get you into a stream. You were unconscious, but we tried to flush as much of the poison out of your eyes, hair and face as we could. It looks like your head and face are already healing, and your hair is growing back, but we covered your eyes to protect them for now. We didn't want anything else to get into them. Oh, InuYasha, I'm so sorry! This is all my fault." She couldn't help but to sob louder.

If InuYasha thought to disagree with her, he didn't have the opportunity. Another shot of pain rocketed through his head, just under his eyes, and he passed out again. He fell back with a thud.

When he awakened again, the smells surrounding him seemed even more powerful. The dampness was almost overwhelming, and the scents of others were strong enough they could all be sitting in his lap. He groaned as his hands reached to feel his face. The burned flesh felt as though it had healed over, and the bandages were no longer on his eyes. He felt a stubby toe kicking at his hip.

"Quit screwing around. I know you're faking it," he heard. "You just want the attention, Baka."

InuYasha snarled as he swiped at the kit, though he missed. "Why the fuck is it so dark in here?"

"Hey, he's awake and tried to hit me!" Shippou cried out. "He's just as big a meanie as ever!"

"InuYasha!" Kagome cried as she came running in. "How do you feel? Shippou, you were supposed to give him water when he woke up, not annoy him."

"Why the fuck is it so dark in here? Can't you people light a fire or something?" the hanyou bit out as he struggled to sit up. "Do I have to do fucking everything?"

"InuYasha," Kagome said softly as she placed her hand on his arm. "It's daylight outside, and there is a fire."

"Just fucking great. I can't see a fucking thing," he responded in a bitter voice. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"I'm sure your eyes just haven't finished healing, yet," Kagome said, though he could hear the doubt her voice.

"Yes, I'm certain that is all it is," he heard Miroku add. "Your eyes did catch the worst of the poison. It will probably take longer for them to heal."

"Don't worry, InuYasha. I'm sure you'll get better," Sango said. "Come on, Miroku, Shippou. We need to find us something to eat."

"I wanna stay here!" Shippou whined. "I wanna stay with Kagome!"

"Shippou, why don't you go with them? They might need your skills to catch something for dinner, all right?" Kagome told him. "We'll be okay."

InuYasha would have sworn he could hear the pout on the kitsune's face as he stomped away, but was distracted when he felt a bottle of water pressed to his lips. He gratefully drank it down.

"InuYasha…" Kagome started. The air was filled with the odor of the tears that were filling her eyes and starting to leak from them.

"Quit fucking saying it was your fault. If it was anyone's, it was the fucking brat's," the hanyou snarled.

"InuYasha! How can you say that? What should I have done, just let Shippou die?"

"If it came to it! You're more important than he is! And I swear to the fucking gods, he did it on purpose. He's been pissed he hasn't been getting all of your attention lately, so he resorted to that. He easily could have gotten out of the way, if he'd wanted to. Instead, he stood there like fucking rock for you to come rescue! So yes, you should have let the fucking snake eat him!" InuYasha roared.

"I can't believe you'd say such a thing! Sit!!" Kagome cried.

"Arrrrrgh!" InuYasha screamed as he crashed into the floor. He lay there until the spell wore off, and then pushed himself up, and stormed out. At least he thought he was headed towards the entrance of the cave, but instead, he slammed into a wall. Cursing loudly, he used his hands to follow it in an attempt to find the opening.

"Oh gods, what have I done!" Kagome howled. "InuYasha, stop! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! Stop!" She ran to wrap her arms around his waist, in an attempt to make him halt.

The angry hanyou continued to drag her as he inched along the surface, until he felt her lose her footing, and slide down so that she now had her arms wrapped around his legs. He was aware of her face pressed against his thigh as she sobbed against his leg. He finally stopped and said, "Kagome, have you paid any attention to what the little snot has been doing ever since that fucking ordeal at the Kitsune Inn? Do you know what he calls me when he knows you can't hear? He goes on about his rank, and how I'll never be anything but a worthless hanyou. Do you know what he calls me, Kagome? Do you? He calls me Inukkoro, just like the fucking wolf did! He fucking calls me dog shit and gets away with it, because he knows you'll sit me if I do anything to make him stop! And now he risks your life, I'm fucking blind, and I'm supposed to be fucking happy about it? I can't protect you any more! I can't do fucking anything! Don't you get it, Kagome? I might as well be dead. Without my sight, I probably soon will be! That was the only sense I still had when I turn mortal, and now it's gone! What the fuck do you want me to do?"

Kagome clutched him more tightly as her tears soaked into his hakama. He barely heard her muffled voice as she said, "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know."

"I'm useless, Kagome. I can't do anything. I need to see to protect you, and to fight. You'll have to make do with Miroku and Sango, because I can't help you any more. You might as well leave me here for the next youkai that comes along to kill me, because I probably won't last very long," he stated. "That'll make the runt happy. He'll have your attention again. Or at least he will until Naraku or another one of his monsters comes along to attack you. I guess you'd better search for my brother to see if you can travel with them. He did seem to appreciate that you got Rin out of harm's way before, even if he didn't say it."

Kagome pulled herself to her feet and wrapped her arms tightly around him at the waist as she pressed against his body. "I'll take you home," she whispered.

"Keh? What are you going on about? I won't be any better off in the village. What do you expect me to do? I can't fucking see, Kagome."

"No, my home. You'll be safe there," she said softly. "I couldn't bear it if something happened to you."

"Something already did happen. I'm useless now," he responded.

The miko squeezed him more tightly. "It's all my fault. I'll take care of you."

InuYasha growled as he tried to push her away from him. "I don't need your fucking pity. I'd be better off dead."

She started to weep into his chest, still clinging to him. "Don't you get it? It's not pity, InuYasha. I love you. I can't live without you. I don't care if you can't see. Blind people adjust and live in my world all of the time. It won't be easy, but I'll help you. It's my fault you lost your sight; that's bad enough. I'd die if anything happened to you. I know that Mama and Souta will help. Come home with me. We'll find a way through this."

InuYasha was too stunned to speak after hearing her declaration that she loved him. She'd almost said it when they were in her time, but as usual, they were interrupted. He'd told her he would protect her always, and she said she would stay with him always, but they hadn't spoken of it again since then. Something always managed to get in the way, or they simply hadn't had the time alone. 

"Don't leave me, InuYasha!" she wailed.

The hanyou sighed as he found himself wrapping his arms around her in return. This was not even remotely close to how he'd anticipated eventually revealing how he felt to her. He had imagined a final, dramatic, triumphant battle with Naraku, where he'd sweep her into his arms and finally kiss her when the monster was dead. Being blind and feeling helpless had not been part of his dream.

"Kagome, I'll be nothing but a burden to you," he whispered.

"No, you won't. And you certainly won't be any more than I've been to you. Look at me, always getting in the way; I feel useless half the time. And maybe, your eyes will eventually regenerate. I mean, look at some of the injuries you've had in the past? It could happen," she responded quietly.

"Kagome…" he started, but didn't know what to say.

He felt her hands move up, and wrap in his forelocks. She tugged his face downwards, until she could reach him, and pressed her lips to his. Her soft mouth moved against his, and then he felt the tip of her tongue run across his own. Unable to resist any longer, he parted his lips and let her in.

The hanyou gently sucked on her tongue as it explored his mouth, before pushing past it with his own to do the same with hers. Kagome's hands released his hair, and wrapped around his neck instead, with one of them sliding upwards towards his ear. As he felt her thumb gently stroke the sensitive appendage, he rubbed her back with his hand, though he was clutching her to him with the other as if his very life depended upon it.

Then again, if he were honest with himself, maybe it did.

When she finally pulled free, she was panting; however, she refused to let him go. Instead, her hands wrapped around his body again, and she pressed herself firmly against him. "Don't tell me you feel nothing for me," she whispered. "I'd die."

"You won't be safe with me any more," he answered. 

"I don't care. I love you," the miko said. "And I think you love me, too. Tell me I'm wrong."

InuYasha sighed. "I can't."

"So you do love me," she pressed.

The hanyou just held her close, but didn't respond immediately. Finally, he uttered, "Yes."

He could have sworn he heard her smile through her tears, and would have shook his head at her foolishness if she weren't pulling his face to hers for another kiss. He would have given anything to be able to see her expression, but it didn't look like that would happen any time soon. Instead, InuYasha finally said, "Can you get me out of here for a while? I could use some fresh air."

Kagome nodded before she remembered he couldn't see her. "Okay, InuYasha, give me your hand."

He let her lead him outside and then, he inhaled deeply. The scents from the surrounding wood were so strong that he could almost taste them. The activity of the birds and insects seemed amplified. Pulling Kagome back into his arms, he buried his nose in the crook of her neck and breathed in her scent.

"How long was I out? Everything seems to smell so much stronger, and make so much more noise," he asked quietly.

"Five full days. When you woke up the first time, it had been about a day. There have been another four since then," she answered.

InuYasha growled.

"What is it, InuYasha?" Kagome asked, worriedly looking around.

"The others are on their way back, and they're bringing company," he snarled, scrambling to get away.

Kagome held fast. "Stop! What's wrong?"

"My brother. It was bad enough I'm a half-breed, but now I'm blind. He'll kill me to put me out of my misery," the hanyou said angrily. "I won't have a chance to see if my eyes will ever heal or not."

"No, I won't let him," Kagome said with determination.

"See, I told you he was blind and useless!" they heard Shippou jeer as the group approached the couple.

"Enough," stated Sesshoumaru as he approached, pulling Tenseiga from its scabbard. "So, it is true."

"I won't let you harm him." Kagome stood directly in front of InuYasha, shielding him from his brother.

"Kagome, just let him get it over with. There's no reason for any of you to be hurt because of me," the hanyou said.

"No!" The miko stood firm, her power starting to flare around her.

"Silly girl!" Jaken called. "Tenseiga cannot harm him. It is still a sword of healing."

"What?" InuYasha and Kagome said together.

Rin ran up to Kagome. "Kagome-sama, Sesshoumaru-sama only wants to see if Tenseiga will heal his brother."

"You… are you sure?" the miko asked.

Rin nodded eagerly. "Sesshoumaru-sama said that it is bad enough to have to acknowledge a bastard half-breed half brother, but having a blind bastard half-breed half brother was going too far."

InuYasha actually snorted. "I think it's okay, Kagome. Let him try."

Sango had moved forward. "Kagome, I don't think he will do anything to harm InuYasha with Rin here," she said very softly. "I think he really does want to help."

Kagome nodded and stepped aside as Sesshoumaru strode forward.

"Well, you are not dead, yet. Maybe I will have to kill you before Tenseiga will heal you." The Taiyoukai almost sounded as if he had made a joke.

"Just get it over with, already," the hanyou ordered. "If it'll work, I don't want to be like this one minute longer than I have to."

"InuYasha," Miroku called. "You'd better close your eyes so it won't be such a shock. Or maybe you'd better go back into the cave where it is somewhat darker before trying this."

"Miroku is right. You haven't been able to see for five days. Give me your hand and I'll help you back in," Kagome offered.

Shippou started to follow, but Miroku grabbed him. InuYasha heard the monk say, "You've done enough damage. You stay here."

Feeling somewhat more hopeful, he allowed Kagome to lead him back inside of the cave. He sat down with her, to discover her bedroll underneath him.

"Okay, Sesshoumaru. I guess I'm ready," InuYasha said.

Tenseiga pulsed, and the Inu youkai took the flat of the blade, and pressed it against InuYasha's dead eyes. The blade pulsed again, and the hanyou felt a sudden warmth rush through him. There was one more, and his eyes begin to tingle. He felt the sword leave his face, and heard it slide back into the scabbard.

"It is unknown how long this may take. You should remain here for now," Sesshoumaru said before sweeping towards the entrance of the cave.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Kagome called after him.

"Yeah, thanks," InuYasha said softly, knowing his full youkai brother probably still heard him.

The hanyou suddenly felt exhausted, like every drop of energy had been drained from his body. "Kagome, I think I'm going back to sleep now."

"Here, just stretch out on my sleeping bag," she said, hoping desperately that it was part of the healing process. "Can I stay with you?"

"If you want," InuYasha answered as he tried to get comfortable on his back. He felt Kagome snuggle into his side as he drifted asleep.

When the hanyou woke, the first thing he noticed was that his other senses seemed to be back to their normal strength. His nose and ears still worked, but weren't overwhelming him with signals like before. Kagome was tucked into his side, her breathing even and gentle as she slept. Suddenly, much more hopeful, he cracked his eyes to see if they worked once again. He immediately squinted as the light of the fire hit them, and then slowly opened them again, just barely, to try and allow them to adjust. He was rewarded by a fuzzy vision of the dark head resting against him, and he reached over with his free hand to stroke her hair.

InuYasha could feel her nose bury into him as she began to respond, nuzzling him, while her arm that was thrown across his stomach gripped him more tightly. He opened his eyes a little further to watch her as she began to realize that he was awake.

"Hey," the hanyou said as she looked up at him, and her eyes met his.

"You can see?" He could hear the joy in her voice.

"Yeah."

InuYasha was taken by surprise when she suddenly threw herself over him, and kissed him. His fingers tangled in her black locks when he wrapped his hands around her head to hold her face to his. Their tongues pushed past one another as each tried to gain entrance to the other's mouth, until InuYasha suddenly pulled on her tongue. As she continued to probe, he realized it felt like she was pouring her very soul into him. She was panting when she eventually had to pull away to catch her breath.

The hanyou gently stroked her cheeks with his thumbs as she gazed into his eyes, and he into hers. "Kagome…"

The miko lowered her mouth to his for another soft kiss before breaking away. "I know… Naraku, the jewel… we can't get carried away."

InuYasha, with a bit of a struggle, managed to sit up. However, he moved Kagome with him so that she ended up sitting across his lap by the time he was upright. "It would be dangerous for Naraku to find out. We can't afford for him to. Last time…"

Kagome settled her head against his shoulder. "I know. But no matter what happens, it won't be like before. I don't just love you, InuYasha, I trust you. I hope you trust me."

He embraced her and kissed the top of her head. "You know I do. I think I have almost since the beginning."

Kagome wrapped her hand around the kotodama, and pulled away just far enough to yank the beads over his head. She threw them into the fire and said, "You don't need those any more. You haven't in a long time. I'm so sorry, InuYasha. I can't believe that I did that when you were hurt. And it is my fault that Shippou is so spoiled. I won't interfere anymore, as long as you promise not to kill him."

Instead of answering, InuYasha tipped her chin up and lowered his mouth to hers. He fully intended to kiss her very thoroughly, while they still had a little privacy.

"They're awake, I tell you! I can hear them!" the kitsune in question yelled as he ran towards the cave.

"Never mind, I'll kill him myself," Kagome said as their intimate moment was so rudely interrupted and she scrambled to her feet.

InuYasha lay back on the bedroll and grinned.

_**finis**_


End file.
